1996 Mazda 626

I BROUGHT MY 1996 MAZDA 626 INTO HOEHN MAZDA OF CARLSBAD, CA FOR A SPECIFIC CODE (P0441-EVAP EMISSIONS CONTROL-INCORRECT PURGE FLOW). THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC PULLED A CODE OF P0741- SLIPPING TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY SAID I WOULD NEED A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT (WHICH WOULD BE THE THIRD OR FOURTH FOR THIS VEHICLE). I STATED THAT MAY BE A PROBLEM SINCE THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT HAD BEEN BLINKING AND ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THESE PARTICULAR TRANSMISSIONS. SOON AFTER I CHECKED MY CAR'S VIN NUMBER ON CARFAX AND NOTICED A NOTE PLACED BY MAZDA THAT THIS CAR HAD NO RECALLS ON IT. HOEHN MAZDA TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A GOOD THING AS IT MEANT THAT MY PARTICULAR TYPE CAR WAS OK. I INTERPRETED IT TO MEAN THAT THIS WAS A WARNING TO DEALERSHIPS NOT TO DO ANY "FREE WORK" ON MY MAZDA. THESE FORD TRANSMISSIONS (CD4E) REALLY DO NEED A RECALL. I BELIEVE THE FIX IS A BETTER PUMP (SONNAX) AND HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION OVER THE YEARS. I JUST WANT TO ADD MY OWN COMPLAINT AND DISSATISFACTION WITH THIS PARTICULAR DEALERSHIPS TREATMENT OF A CUSTOMER. THEY NEVER DIAGNOSED THE ORIGINAL P0441 COMPLAINT AND CHARGED ME $88 FOR THE ADVICE ON REPLACING MY TRANSMISSION. HOW WAS THIS TRANSMISSION TREATED? FLUID CHANGE ANNUALLY OR EVEN MORE OFTEN; DRIVEN EXTREMELY GENTLY, AND FAILED LIKE CLOCKWORK. *JB

MY CAR HAS A LITTLE LESS THAN 90,000 MILES. EVERY TIME I DRIVE THIS CAR FOR MORE THAN 30 MILES OR SO, SOMETIMES LESS IF HAVING TO SPEED AND SLOW OFTEN, MY OVER DRIVE LIGHT BEGINS TO FLASH WHICH ALSO MAKES THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT ERRATICALLY. IF I PULL OVER AND RESTART THE ENGINE TO STOP THE LIGHT FROM FLASHING AND IT BEGINS TO FLASH AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL ALSO COMES ON. NORMALLY AFTER A WEEK OR SO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL TURN OFF BY ITSELF. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED ABOUT A YEAR AGO THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WHEN ONE DAY MY CAR DECIDED WHILE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT THAT I COULD NOT KEEP AN IDLE STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP THE MOTOR RUNNING AND I THEN HAVE HAD TO START PLACING MY CAR IN NEUTRAL FOR STOP LIGHTS AND REV THE ENGINE WHILE THE LIGHT WAS RED TO KEEP FROM STALLING. WE HAVE NOT REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, THOUGH I AM AWARE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE LONG BEFORE NOW. WE SIMPLY DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR MORE THAN 20 MILES AT A TIME. IF WE ARE GOING 30 MILES OR MORE, I HAVE TO STOP HALF WAY TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TO LET THE TRANSMISSION REST. I FEEL THAT MAZDA HAS BEEN COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, UNETHICAL, AND RECKLESS IN ALLOWING LOYAL CUSTOMERS TO CONTINUE TO LOOSE FAITH IN MAZDA'S QUALITY OF STANDARDS. I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE LOSS IN AMOUNT OF PROFITS AND BUSINESS FOR YEARS OF PAST AND YEARS TO COME WOULD EASILY OUTWEIGH THE DAMPER TO PROFITS THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED FROM DOING THE RIGHT THING AND COMPENSATING MAZDA OWNERS FOR THE HARD SHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A MUCH NEEDED RECALL AND LACK THERE OF. MY HUSBAND AND I NOW ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW VEHICLE, MOST LIKELY AN SUV, AND WHILE MAZDA BEFORE NOW WAS OUR FIRST VEHICLE MAKE OF CHOICE, IT WILL NOW NOT ONLY BE LAST BUT MAZDA WILL NOT BE AN OPTION AT ALL. AS I ASSUME OTHERS HAVE COME TO THE SAME TERMS, WE WILL NOT PLACE TRUST IN A VEHICLE USED TO TRANSPORT OUR CHILDREN THAT WE CAN NOT RELY ON FOR SAFETY AND DEPENDABILITY. *NM

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH A AUTOMATIC 1996 MAZDA 626 2.0 LITER 4 CYL. WE BOUGHT THE CAR WITH SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SO WE BRING IT HOME AND IT WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR SO WE DECIDE WE HAVE TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. WE GET ON THE INTERNET AND SEARCH FOR ANY RECALLS ON THE TRANNY OR THE CAR AND ON SOME WEBSITES WE FOUND THAT THE TRANNY IS TOO SMALL FOR THAT PARTICULAR MAKE OF CAR AND IT TENDS TO OVERHEAT AND FOUND A TSB THAT SAID THE CAR NEEDED A TRANNY COOLING SYSTEM B/C WHEN IT WOULD OVERHEAT IT WOULD JUST CRASH, AND WE ALSO SAW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THEY HAVE HAD THEIR TRANNY REPLACED 2 OR 3 TIMES B/C OF THE OVERHEATING, AND I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT MAZDA WOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND HELP EVERYONE OUT THAT IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM B/C WE THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. *NM

TRANSMISSION HAS NOW WENT OUT TWICE IN MY 1996 MAZDA 626 WITHIN A YEAR. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS. IT JUST HAPPENED! CAME TO A LIGHT, STOPPED, LIGHT TURNED GREEN STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. ENGINE JUST REVVED UP NOT GOING ANYWHERE. IN A PANIC, I PUSHED THE O/D BUTTON OFF AND IT FINALLY WENT INTO GEAR. THE ONLY TIME I COULD DRIVE IT WITH O/D ON WAS IF I WAS GOING OVER 50 MPH. IN THE MEANTIME. DRIVING WITH IT OFF AROUND TOWN. WHEN YOU STARTED SLOW DOWN ALMOST BEFORE YOU CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR WOULD JUMP LIKE IT WAS DOWN SHIFTING REALLY HARD. WHEN DRIVING IT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH O/D ON...IT WAS FINE UNTIL YOU TRIED TO PASS SOMEONE OR TRIED GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PASSING GEAR WOULDN'T WORK AND ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL AGAIN. SCARED ME TO DEATH! I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. AFRAID SOMEONE WOULD HIT ME. HUSBAND CHECKED THE TRANS. FLUID,,LOOKED FINE..SO WE TOOK IT IN, TO COTTMANS, BTW..DON'T EVER USE THEM. ENDED UP COSTING US $2800 FOR A REBUILT TRANNY. NOW ITS A YEAR LATER, SPRING BREAK, ME AND MY FAMILY OUT SHOPPING AND WENT TO PASS A CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN!! NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE CUT OUR OUTING SHORT AND WENT HOME. CALLED COTTMANS OF COURSE WOULDN'T HOLD UP TO THE WARRANTY. IT WENT OUT A MONTH TO THE DAY!!! WE ARE NOT GOING TO SHELL OUT MONEY ON THE CAR AGAIN! I HAVE DONE RESEARCH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND HAVE HAD THEM REBUILT SEVERAL TIMES ONLY FOR IT TO FAIL OVER AND OVER. ALSO, I HAVE READ OTHER THINGS ABOUT THEM. WHICH I THOUGHT WAS MINOR ON MY CAR. BUT AFTER READING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEMS OTHERS HAVE I AM GOING TO LIST THOSE AS WELL. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS, OIL LEAK REAR MAIN SEAL, OXYGEN SENSOR DOESN'T WORK, CV JOINTS BAD. WITH ALL THIS SAID EVEN THOUGH I LOVED MY PAID OFF MAZDA, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND BUYING A MAZADA. NOW WE ARE STUCK GOING OUT DOING THE DREADFUL CAR SHOPPING IN WHICH ANOTHER MAZADA WILL BE OUT OF THE QUESTION. *JB